Queens of Hills and Sea
by WhoGotMerLocked
Summary: At the feast honoring Mary and Francis's engagement, a strange woman from Mary's past comes to court. She brings with her a warning of a threat to Mary's safety. Will Francis, Bash, and this strange girl be able to save the Queen of Scotland before it is too late?


Chapter 1

Mary looked out over the hall. This feast was in her honor. Hers and Francis's. To honor their engagement.

_It's about time, _Mary thought to herself. She and Francis were in love, there was no doubt about that, but their engagement had not been "right for France" until then.

Francis was on her left, the king on his. Catherine, who looked very put out, was on Mary's right. Bash sat on the other side of the king. Various nobles and Mary's ladies were seated and eating at the tables below.

All of a sudden, the room went silent as a page rushed in and slammed the doors behind him. He stood against them panting.

Henry stood.

"We have a visitor waiting at the gate," the page announced when he caught his breath.

"Well who is it?" the king demanded.

"A sailor from the pirate ship _The Night's Pride._"

There was a gasp throughout the room. _The Night's Pride_ was the most infamous pirate vessel in the entire world. It patrolled the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. They were ruthless. Sailors who managed to escape said that _The Night_'_s Pride _was faster than any ship they'd ever encountered and that it would come out of no where.

The pirates attacked any naval vessel that they came across, save for ships with women and children, Scottish ships, and recently French as well.

The captain of _The Night's Pride_ was a man named McCloud and it was a name every sailor feared.

And so, the entire room sat tensely and silently, as a there was a banging on the grand doors. They flew open, sending the page sprawling. The figure stalked to the center of the room.

And there, standing in front of the court, was a woman.

She was dressed in tight black pants, boots up to her knees. A billowy white shirt was tucked in and cinched with a large black belt, on which hung a sheathed sword and a knife. Over all this was a midnight blue cloak, the hood partially concealing her face and the hem reaching the floor.

She threw back the hood exposing her face. Fiery red hair fell in waves down her back. A freckled, sun-kissed face held bright green eyes, framed with high brows and long lashes. Red lips were pursed under a small nose.

Mary barely concealed a gasp of recognition but the mysterious woman did not spare the Queen of Scotland a glance. Yet.

"_You_ are a pirate?" the king said incredulously.

"Is that so hard to believe?" the girl retorted before adding sarcastically, "My liege."

Henry shook his head in reluctant acceptance before continuing. "What are you here for?"

"To congratulate Francis and Mary on their engagement of course," the pirate responded as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Henry shared a look with both Francis and Bash. The two brothers stood on either side of their father. "Has your captain sent you?" Francis asked.

"My captain?" the girl laughed. "I think there's been a misunderstanding.

"Do enlighten us," Bash said, impatiently.

"Let me introduce myself. My name is Briar McCloud, captain of the pirate ship _The Night's Pride._" She made a point of bowing low, flourishing her cloak, a mischievous smile on her face.

Only Bash and Francis noticed the look passed between Mary and Briar McCloud, but neither man could decipher its meaning.

"Guards!" Henry shouted, "Seize her!"

Guards began to rush towards her and Briar whipped out her sword, preparing for a fight.

"Stop!" Mary shouted, standing. She held up her skirts as she descended the three stairs of the dais. The guards immediately fell back, but stood hesitantly, swords drawn

She made her way to Briar. Francis tensed but Henry stopped him from going after her.

Mary stood in front of Briar. The Queen put her hand over the hand with which Briar was holding her sword.

"It's been a long time, Mary," Briar said. The pain on both girls' faces was obvious.

"Too long," Mary responded.

They stared at each other before Briar's sword clattered to the floor.

Briar McCloud, pirate captain, and Mary, Queen of Scotland, hugged each other as if they would never let go.

Briar sat with Mary throughout the rest of the feast. The two did not talk much, as Francis and Bash were watching them both.

Soon, however, Mary was standing at the door, Francis at her side, Bash and Briar behind them.

"Thank you for coming this evening," Mary said as shook the last person's hand.

Finally, they were all gone. Mary sighed in relief as she left, taking Briar's hand.

"We have much to talk about, old friend," the Queen commented as they left through the grand doors. To anyone walking by, Briar looked noticeably uncomfortable.

"So you left the convent to become a pirate," Mary said, stiff and tense.

"No," Briar responded. "It's not like the way you think it is. I didn't leave the convent. Not by my will."

Mary stopped them short, pulling Briar around to face her. Francis and Bash also stopped a few paces away, ready to intervene, should the pirate not be who Mary thought she was.

"Then tell me!" Mary nearly shouted. "Tell me why I woke up one morning to find that my best friend was gone, not even having left a note."

Briar looked like she didn't want respond, but Mary continued, "I spent weeks and weeks looking for you!"

"I was kidnapped!" Briar shouted back. Mary started. "How could you even think that I would leave you willingly! You were the only person that ever cared for me in my entire life, you think I would just up and go?!"

"What – What happened? Who kidnapped you?"

"Bounty-hunters. You and I spent so much time together, they thought I was you and so they came in the night, to take me from my bed. When they realized they had the wrong person, they sold me."

"I'm so sorry," Mary shook her head, "I didn't know."

"I know you didn't," Briar said, "I had hoped you would never know."

"But you escaped," Mary said, "Why didn't you come back?"

"Do you think the convent would take me back after what had happened? I was a different person. I was no longer pure, I no longer believed in God, do you think I would be accepted? No, I had no place in the convent. I had no place anywhere except aboard my ship."

"You've always had a place with me," Mary said, sorrowfully.

Briar didn't respond to that, just smiled sadly and continued, "I contacted Mother Superior after I escaped. I told her I would not be coming back, but she agreed to send me reports. Every month she told me how you were doing, and if you were safe. Even when you left the convent and came here, I've had someone watching you for me."

"Who?"

"Lola, of course," Briar responded, "she also sends me reports of all the adventures you've been getting into."

Mary laughed slightly at this, Briar joining in, the sorrow behind them for the moment.

"I'll have to have a talk with her about that," Mary joked.

Behind them, Francis and Bash relaxed, having been tense the entire conversation.

"But I'm not just here to congratulate you, Mary," Briar was serious again, "Is there a place we can talk privately? Your princes can come, too."

Mary nodded, leading them to her room.

The four were seated around the table in Mary's room.

"I came to warn you," Briar said, staring straight into Mary's eyes.

"Warn?" Francis asked, on his guard.

"Of what?" Bash was just as tense as his brother.

"There is a pagan ceremony that they call _Aberth o Frenhines Wyryf_. The Sacrifice of a Virgin Queen. It happens every century." Briar took a deep breath and continued, "Mary you are in your prime. You are a virgin, but you are engaged. This is the exact state they want you in for their sacrifice. They have sent bounty-hunters to come and take you."

As Mary absorbed this, Francis asked, "How much time do we have before they start coming for her?"

"Not long," Briar responded, "It could be tonight, it could be tomorrow, it could be next week that they come for her. The ceremony is in three months, on the summer solstice. If we do not protect Mary, they will take her. And on that day, they will kill her.


End file.
